Having attended field school where we excavated real sites AND seen an
archaeological methods class where a mock site was used, I understand the
benefits of both methods.  However, I am still concerned with students
working on sites with real research potential.
 
Here is a real-life problem from the field school I attended (which shall
remain anonymous):  A couple students stole some artifacts, such as an
early 19th-century penny (a dateable artifact!), on the last night of the
project.   Apparently they just wanted them as keepsakes.  I only learned
about this myself a few months after the fact from another student, and
wondered whether the TAs and the project manager ever realized what
happened.
 
Has anyone else encountered this situation?  If so, how have you dealt with
it?
 
Jeannie K. Yang
 
 
Graduate Student, Webmaster Extraordinaire, Procrastinator
http://www.wco.com/~genie/